A Bohemian Christmas Carol
by Angel of Music lover
Summary: The classic Christmas tale meets bohemia! What happens when Benny's Christmas spirit completely evaporates? Why, he gets visited by three special ghosts, that's what! Was on hiatus for a while, but I'm trying to finish it NOW. Please R
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well I imagine that this story has been done tons of times at Christmas time. But you know what, I'm still stretching my wings as a writer and I wanted to do this. So basically this is like A Christmas Carol only with RENTified. I'll give you all three guesses who Scrooge is… hehehe. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own A Christmas Carol or RENT.**

_The Village Voice_

Mr. Grey, owner of various apartment buildings, died of a heart attack this morning

_Yes, the morning of Christmas Eve was a sad one for the Grey family. Mr. Grey suffered a heart attack and died of complications in the hospital. His daughter, Allison Grey, and her husband, Benjamin Coffin III, have been forced to put mourning aside and sort out what exactly will happen to Mr. Grey's business. _

_Seeing as how Benjamin was the next in line to inheriting the company, being Mr. Grey's only son if only through marriage, he will be fully taking on the responsibility…_

Roger Davis snorted and tossed the paper aside and sipped at his coffee. He decided that reading the rest of the article was bad for his health and therefore needed disposing of. The blonde rocker continued to gaze at the headline though as the words continued to play in his mind. It would seem that Roger was trying to figure out in the wee hours of the morning if this new shift in power was a positive or a negative thing.

Just then, a blonde man toting a camera fiddled with the front door handle and eventually made his way inside. He shook snow out of his hair and straightened his glasses carefully before noticing that his roommate was actually up and aware at nine o' clock in the morning.

"Well this must be a first in the history of Roger," Mark cried and in a flash whipped his camera out to film. "Roger Davis, the moody rocker who loathes being woken at any time before noon, is up drinking the crappy coffee I made at nine in the morning!" Roger glared at the camera as if wishing it would burst into flames then and there.

"Yeah, Merry Christmas to you too Mark," he grumbled and tossed the _Village Voice_ to the other man. "Check this out smart ass." Mark's brow furrowed as his eyes quickly scanned the page.

"Mr. Grey is dead?" he asked finally and lamely. Roger bit back a smart retort and nodded slowly.

"So guess who is next in line to the throne," he said while returning to the bitter coffee. Mark sighed and flung the paper over towards the door as if just by getting rid of it the headline would change.

An awkward silence prevailed after that until Roger decided to bring up some casual conversation.

"So where were you this fine Christmas Eve… morning?" he asked and looked over at Mark curiously. Mark started to fiddle with his camera case nervously after that and cleared his throat distractedly.

"Oh well… you know… just out for a walk…" he lied carefully but unconvincingly. Roger cocked an eyebrow but didn't say anything else on the matter. Instead he just pulled his thin sweater closer to his chilled body and took a long sip of the equally cold coffee.

"Was it warmer out there than in here?" Roger asked bitterly while glaring over at a random spot on the wall. Probably was supposed to represent Benny Mark realized later.

"Yeah, most definitely," Mark responded nonchalantly and finally brought himself to sit across from his friend at the window. "How's Mimi?" Mark asked, deciding it was his turn to inquire after his friend. Roger smiled wanly at his friend before responding.

"She's just as perky as ever, of course. It's like a damn musical over there. I can almost forget what almost happened last Christmas she's so energetic…" he chortled and shifted his legs more comfortably underneath him. Mark grinned as he imagined Mimi dancing around in her leopard print coat in her apartment to cheer herself and her lover up.

"I admit I was a bit on edge this morning… wondering what kind of life changing experience we'll have _this _Christmas," Mark joked. Roger allowed himself a thin smile before remembering Angel.

"Let's hope for a quiet Christmas," Roger murmured seriously. Mark nodded before getting up again and heading towards the kitchen area.

"Do we have anything to eat for tonight?" Mark asked suddenly as he raided the cupboards.

"Not unless you want a stale Captain Crunch Christmas feast," Roger called back. Mark swore under his breath and continued to search the nearly empty kitchen for some other kind of food source. There was none.

"And we promised Mimi and Collins a good dinner here at the Loft too!" Mark whined as he finally flopped back into his vacated seat. Roger shrugged sadly in response.

You might think that Mark and Roger would have enough money to pay for SOMETHING to eat for Christmas Eve since Collins rewired that ATM machine. Sadly, the ATM people found this out nearly four months ago so the bohemians were now dirt poor again. Not that they were living the high life with the ATM either but you get the idea.

………………………..

Meanwhile, later in the evening, Benny sat in his large office and watched the people working with a superior look on his face.

"My father-in-law is dead… which means that I now own all of the company," Benny murmured to himself. Then a broad smile grew on his face and he stood up from his desk. "Now _I _call the shots! _I _make the orders! And it's _my _job to make sure that everyone pays the rent so I can continue to feed my family!" Benny exclaimed a little bit louder and raced out his door to see the other people on their phones and working faithfully.

"_This is all more important than my friends… money is more important than those slobs that I used to call my friends,"_ Benny thought to himself as he gazed out at the people working.

"Attention everyone!" Benny called out of the hustle and bustle. All people in motion paused in their various tasks and turned to see their new boss. "I know you all are grieved about Mr. Grey's passing." There were several murmurs of mechanical agreement before Benny continued. "And I also know that all of you are eager to get home to your families on this blessed evening. But we have to really knuckle down and work all night. Mr. Grey died and left all of us a huge mess to clean up." A few groans were heard but none dared object. "Let's get to it then!" he exclaimed and with that Benny retreated to his office.

………………………….

Nearly three hours later Benny was leaving his building happily. He had left another trusted employee in charge of collecting the rent (much like Mr. Grey would do to him) and he was left to go home to Muffy… I mean Allison.

Life was good.

Feeling a little bit giddy with the situation, Benny pulled out a cigarette and quickly lit it. Anyone who happened to seem him pass by as he walked to his car in the large parking lot they would have seen a slightly manic man puffing insanely at a cigarette and holding his head higher than the Queen of England.

While driving Benny happened to pass by one of his apartment buildings and instantly recognized it as the humble abode of his old friends, Mark and Roger. He instantly pulled over, stepped out of the car with his over polished shoes hitting the slushy ground with a squelch, and looked up to where he knew the troublesome were probably waiting for Collins to appear. He snorted and took another drag from his cigarette, delighting in the smoke that soon emitted from his mouth as he breathed out.

The tall dark skinned man stood there for several moments and simply watched the flickering light from the Loft.

"_Must be a candle,"_ Benny thought to himself suddenly, _"Since I remember turning their power off last week." _He let out a little laugh then as he thought of the cruel irony of the situation.

"Hey friend," a grungy and disheveled man hoarsely called out from the corner to Benny's right. Benny turned to look on impulse and found himself slightly repulsed at the disheveled appearance of the bum and the smell of whiskey in his breath. "Could you spar' me a little puff from your cigarette?" the homeless man asked in a rough voice.

Benny paused as if thinking over the situation and the homeless man thought for a moment he might actually get a Christmas smoke. Then Benny lifted the cigarette to his own lips and took a long, deep drag from the cigarette. As he inhaled the last bit of tobacco Benny smirked happily.

"Here," Benny replied as he allowed the river of smoke to flow from his teeth and lips and into the bum's face. "You can have whatever is left." With a slight flick of Benny's fingers the cigarette was flung into the poor bum's fallen face.

With a slight laugh Benny began to walk the short distance to his car. Allison would be wondering where he was if he wasn't home soon.

"Was that really necessary?" a low voice asked just before Benny stepped back into his car. With a heavy sigh, Benny turned to face the familiar voice of his former roommate, Roger Davis.

"What are you? The new advocate for the filthy money bumming homeless abominations?" Benny asked snippily. "You could call it H.T.F.M.B.H.A… 'Help the filthy, money bumming homeless abominations'!" Roger scowled deeply and seemed to consider spitting all over the smug face of Benjamin Coffin III but thought better of it.

"Real cute Benny," Roger fired back while still lingering towards a phone booth a distance away from Benny. "What happened to your Christmas spirit?" he asked sarcastically, since Benny hadn't had Christmas spirit for years now. Seeing as how his Christmas present to himself and Mark was always to turn off the power it would be safe to say that Benny was a modern day Scrooge.

"Bah humbug! That's what I think of Christmas spirit!" Benny shouted and got halfway into his car but paused before he was completely in. "Say, what are you doing outside right now Roger? You aren't waiting for The Man are you?" Roger's fists clenched dangerously but he narrowly managed to keep himself in control.

"Figured I would wait here for Collins… that way I can just let him in myself instead of Mark throwing the keys down to him or risking Collins getting mugged again," Roger explained forcefully. Benny laughed heartily as he finally closed his car door and started the ignition.

"Tell Mimi hello for me!" Benny hollered out the window as he drove away and chuckled loudly.

Roger promptly swung his body around and slammed his fist against the telephone booth. He barely noticed as the knuckle split open from the contact and splattered his HIV infected blood on the snowy sidewalk beneath him.

…………………..

Benny hummed a nameless tune as he searched for his keys to the extravagant home before him. As he lazily reached for the lock just above the fancy gold door handle in the shape of a lion's head Benny noticed something very odd. It was so insane that he had to lean in even closer to get a better look.

For the door handle was… snarling at him. Benny could have sworn that he saw the door handle mold itself from a calm looking lion face into a twisted, snarling creature that glared at him through it's glassy eyes.

Then in an instant the lion morphed back into it's previous shape and was still once more.

For several minutes Benny stood there in his doorstep and simply stared at the handle in the brisk New York chill. Just as suddenly the spell was broken and Benny shook off the feeling of foreboding and jammed the key into the lock and breathed a sigh of relief when there came a gentle click from the other side of the door. He was so relived that Benny managed to ignore the fact that the door handle was disturbingly warm to the touch. Almost as if it were alive.

"Allison! I'm home!"

**A/N: This was actually kind of hard to write. Benny really isn't exactly like Scrooge is so I'm trying my best to keep Benny in character, though please inform me if I'm not. Thanks! Please read and review with suggestions! **


	2. One Crazy Alcohol Induced Dream

**A/N: I really should be updating my other stories that I've made people wait decades for… but I felt like writing further in this one. :D Anyway, again, please read and review!! It makes me happy to see reviews for my stories!! **

**And a special thanks to Madam Elphaba (who doesn't seem to have an account here… or just wasn't signed in) for your review!! I'm glad you thought it was cute and I love your name:D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own RENT or A Christmas Carol. **

"Allison?" Benny shouted again after not hearing a response the first time. Still more silence. "Better check the fridge," Benny muttered to himself as he ambled towards the kitchen. Sure enough, he found what he was looking for.

_Went out shopping with friends. Might end up getting our hair and nails done later. See you later tonight! Merry Christmas baby! _

_Allison_

Benny sighed somewhat forlornly but smiled all the same. So what if Allison was gone on Christmas Eve and he was alone? This was the perfect time for his alone time that Benny was always talking about. Yes… he would change into his nice pajamas and put on his warm robe and slippers. After that he would start the fire and put his feet up for a time towards the warmth and just bask in being himself.

"Perfect," Benny sighed to himself and headed upstairs to change out of his suit and tie. _"I can have a great Christmas with or without anyone here with me." _

………………………

Nearly two hours later Benny's head was nodding off to one side and his eyes were closed peacefully. Several empty beer bottles sat at his feet and the ashtray was filled with the butts of cigarettes. Yes, Benny had himself quite the little Christmas party. But now the fire was beginning to die and Benny was dozing into a gentle and peaceful sleep filled with hundred dollar bills and his name in lights.

It was a shame that this peaceful setting should be ruined.

The flames began to flicker dangerously and suddenly, as if a great gust of wind passed through the living room, the fire was out completely. Benny still did not wake though, even when the temperature in the room dropped to nearly zero and his record player had come to a standstill. Benjamin Coffin III did not stir from his slumber until there came a great crash from the fireplace. _Now _his eyes were open wide and taking in the incredible sight before him.

There was the ghost of Mr. Grey… right there in his fireplace. Benny paused and nearly began to panic. Then he remembered all the alcohol he had consumed in the last two hours and he laughed at himself.

"_This is one crazy alcohol induced dream,"_ he thought crazily to himself and kicked back to enjoy the view. Dream or not though, Benny jumped when his own father's ghost popped in next to Mr. Grey and they began to laugh merrily together.

"Why hello Benny my son!" Benjamin Coffin II cried out gleefully and clapped his hands in delight. It took Benny a little while to notice that there were chains attached to both ghost's arms and legs.

"I was so glad that I could pop by and see you my boy!" Mr. Grey also announced. The two ghosts were shaking the ashes from the fireplace all over the carpet, making Benny twitch ever so slightly. He had spent _hours _shampooing that rug!

"What brings you to my dreams father… and Mr. Grey?" Benny asked as politely as he could while still wondering exactly how much he managed to drink that evening. None of his dreams following heavy drinking seemed so real!

"Your dream?" Mr. Grey asked and laughed once more.

"This is not a dream!" Benny's father finished and for a moment was quite sober. Mr. Grey also nodded solemnly and all sounds of raucous laughter ceased. Benny's brow creased as he looked at the two transparent men before him.

"I like what you've done for the company Benjamin… you have such potential," Mr. Grey said first and he gave an approving nod.

"Yes, it seems like you're finally going to head down the path of greatness son, like I did!" Benny's father said and smiled lightly. The two men then looked at each other and began to grin manically.

"And we can't wait until you can come down here with us!" the two men chorused with each other and waved their shackles dangerously close to Benny's face. "Yes!" the cried together again. "Chained and shackled we are for our lifetimes of sin!" Benny flew back as slight fear began to grip at his heart.

"Never stopping work!" Benjamin Coffin II moaned.

"I've been dead for not even twenty four hours and it's been an eternity!" Mr. Grey cried out in anguish.

"But it was worth it for all the money we made!" they shouted in unison again. "And now you're on your way too! Come and join us!" the pair chanted once more in unison.

"Oh, and your dog Evita sends her greetings," his father said as an afterthought. "Lucky dog gets out in month on good behavior!" Benny blinked for a couple seconds and then realized who he meant by "Evita". That Akita that had supposedly committed suicide but really it was a murder because the damn dog barked too much.

"Come join us!" the warbling and cracked voices said once more for effect and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Benny sat and stared at the fireplace for a while longer. Had he really just seen what he thought he had seen? Two men, dead as dust talking and shouting at him in his fireplace?

As if a giant cloud had been passed from the home the fire sprang back to life and the warm was once more as warm and cozy as it was mere minutes ago. And still Benjamin Coffin III vacantly stared at the fireplace where the two miserable faces had been. His father had looked so tired and worn… and Mr. Grey exhibited more signs of age than he had when he was alive.

"What do you expect from corpses though?" Benny said out loud and began to laugh hysterically. A giggle snuck through his lips and once they were started there was no stopping them. The respected new manager of one of the largest companies in the world was currently in hysterics. "Why wouldn't they look ill and old?" he said between laughter and shook his head. "What a crazy dream!"

……………………………..

Yet still the conscious buried deep inside of Benny's mind was uneasy. As the now calm and collected man cleaned off his dinner plate and put out the fire the back of his mind was on edge. While Benny began to drunkenly hum an old Christmas carol and laughed to himself a part of him was alert and ready in case any other ghosts should appear.

Meanwhile, the Benny that was in control at the moment was laughing to himself about silly ghosts and never drinking that much again. On his way up the stairs he glanced at the wall clock and sighed. It was eleven thirty and Allison wasn't home yet.

Benny managed to shrug it off but still he felt a little sad that Allison didn't want to be with him on Christmas Eve.

"But then when have I ever cared about the joys of Christmas?" Benny snorted and finally reached his bedroom door. "She'll be home by tomorrow and then we can spent a Christmasless morning together." Benny smiled at the thought for it comforted him for whatever odd reason.

With a contented sigh Benny climbed into his warm bed and pulled the thick blankets up to his ears happily. If his mind wasn't already muddled with sleep Benny would have laughed at the thought of the bohemians huddled on the floor in the Loft and downing the bottles of Stoli that Collins brought in hopes of gaining an ounce of the warmth that Benny was feeling now.

But Benny was already deep in dreamland and once more was brought back to the happy dream of counting money.

_One thousand…_

_Two thousand…_

_Three thousand…_

_Four thousand…_

_Five thousand…_

_Six thousand…_

_Seven thousand…_

_Eight thousand…_

_Nine thousand…_

This happy dream continued on for the next half an hour and would have gone on all night if there hadn't been a slight interruption.

Benny would never get to his favorite part of the dream (which was him swimming a pool of thousand dollar bills) because there was a knock at the window.

Apparently whoever it was who had knocked felt that it was enough of a warning to the person inside because the window suddenly flung open forcefully.

"What the hell?" Benny mumbled sleepily and blearily lifted his head from the soft pillow to see what the problem was. When he saw who it was that floated through his window he couldn't help but recoil away in surprise and fear.

**A/N: Mwuahahahahhaa!! Sorry, that's where I'm leaving it for now. Not that terrible of a cliffhanger because I'm sure you all could probably guess who it is that just came through Benny's window but play along. (winks) Anyway, please review and give me suggestions or thoughts or just "hey, I like this story" or "hey, I don't like this story" and I shall be content.**


	3. The Ghost of Christmas Past

**A/N: I am so sorry you guys!! The week leading up to Christmas turned out to be the most hellish week of my life. Please let me know if you want me to continue this anyway or not. If there aren't any objections I would like to continue it but it is also a little weird since Christmas is over and everything. Anyway, please read and review. This was the hardest chapter for me so I apologize if it is really confusing. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own… oh forget it. **

Benny was staring right into a blinding white light with his heart pounding in his chest. Was this just another crazy dream? He certainly hoped so because then that meant that no real harm could come to him. The light began to dim and standing before him was none other than…

"April?? April is that really you?" Benny called out. And sure enough the cute red-head was standing before him in the flesh with dark circles under her eyes and two scars on her wrist.

"Benny, it's been too long," April responded and leaned casually against the window frame. Benny stared in shock for a minute and then began to laugh.

"Do you have any idea what you did to Roger April? Leaving him like that? Well let me tell you…" Benny began, going into lecture mode after getting over the joy of seeing his old friend.

"And since when have you gave a shit about Roger?" April tossed back coyly before sobering again. "And yes… I really regret what I did to him. But I was scared Benny and confused!" April protested. "I didn't want to live with a death sentence hanging over my head like a pendulum… swinging back and forth…" April instantly snapped out of her depression and looked sternly at Benny. "But I'm not here to go back into _my _past. I'm here to discover yours Benjamin Coffin III."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Benny asked rudely and somewhat exasperatedly.

"I'm the Spirit of Christmas Past," April finally explained with a slight roll of her eyes. Benny's eyes shot up and he began to giggle a little.

"You became an angel? With all the smack you took and after committing suicide?" Benny finally choked out with a look of amusement in his eyes. April just smiled and shook her head.

"It's not about that Benny. Now come on," she insisted and with a flick of her hand the windows flew open. Now Benny looked incredibly nervous as he got up and walked over to the window.

"April, honey, you know that I can't fly," Benny said nervously and eyed the cold ground distastefully. "If you're trying to kill me then just say so…" With an exasperated sigh April reached over and yanked Benny's hand into her own and took off into the sky. Benny let out a little yelp and took his other hand and grabbed hold of April's shoulder for support.

"Benny, I'm not going to let you fall. Even if you are an asshole," April scolded and flicked Benny's clenched hand away from her shoulder. With a grumble Benny obeyed and instead shut his eyes tightly to block out the oh so distant ground. In fact he didn't even notice when April flew right into a huge chasm of light and was sucked into the past.

When his feet gently touched the ground and crunched in the snow Benny finally opened his eyes and beheld his old high school.

"Men are such babies…" April grumbled under her breath and she stomped off to the entrance of the school. "Well are you coming Mr. High and Mighty or no?" she snapped irritably. Benny walked forward as if in a trance because he hadn't even thought of high school in nearly ten years. As the pair walked along Benny took in the familiar settings eagerly.

"Let me guess," he finally ventured to say. "People can't see, hear, or touch me?" April waved her hands in the air and patted Benny's bald head.

"Right-o!" she chimed and hummed a Christmas tune. "You were always a freak that wanted to stay here during school on Christmas after the presents had been opened and study hard for the finals before summer," April teased and lead him into an old classroom. Benny gasped and rushed inside to see a younger version of himself that had snuck into the school and was now currently reading a book titled "Calculus for the Intelligent" and smiling happily.

"That's me!" Benny blurted out happily. April rolled her eyes like she was going to throw a sarcastic comment in there but decided instead to let Benny have his moment. "I loved these quiet moments in the classroom to read!" Benny exclaimed and perched behind his younger self to read over his shoulder. "Christmas just never seemed so important when there was so much to do… to discover," Benny sighed, now quiet.

"The other children thought you were crazy," April said softly and Benny nodded in agreement. "But I didn't care… I wanted to be the best I could be!" April then cocked her head in confusion.

"But you became a Bohemian instead…" April intoned, suggesting that they needed to move on to another memory. Benny nodded and hardly even noticed when the scene around him melted and took him inside of the home that he had grown up in.

………………….

"My old apartment!" Benny cried. Benny then began to walk around the living room and laugh merrily. "This is where I dropped that match on the carpet trying to light a candle during a power outage!" he cried and pointed to a charred piece of carpet. "And I split my head open on the corner of this cabinet trying to teach the dog to sit!" Benny laughed and fingered the old cabinet happily.

"Yeah, that's nice," April responded distractedly and slid over to the hallway. "This is what you need to remember now though," she instructed and pointed to where a full-grown man and what appeared to be his son were arguing over something.

"You're going to join the family business son," the older man growled forcefully at a seventeen-year-old boy. The boy stood firm though and shook his head.

"You aren't going to force me into it Dad," the young Benny spat back in anger. Mr. Coffin then proceeded to shout more angry words but they were lost on both April and the present Benny's ears.

"Yes," he recollected while watching the two argue some more. "He tried to force me into his company when I wanted to do something entirely different…" April nodded knowingly and with a snap of her fingers the scene once more disappeared.

"Now let's see how you first met Roger and Mark."

………………………….

Happy memories with the bohemians flew past in a whirl for Benny. He watched as his younger self ran into the pair of Bohemian (just boys then like himself) friends apartment hunting. They ended up getting a couple beers (and not paying for them… of course) together and really hitting it off right away.

Benny also watched as they found the Loft and how they had eagerly bought it upon seeing it. He also didn't fail to notice how carefree and healthy that Mark and Roger looked back in those days. Mark didn't have the heavy and care worn lines in his forehead or the far away look in his eyes yet. Roger smiled constantly and didn't have the expression of a doomed man dying of a lethal disease.

Then Collins came into the picture for a while as the fun loving philosopher that he was. With Collins around there was never a lack of Stoli around and when Mark, Roger, or Benny flaked out on the rent Collins was always there to produce the money.

Actually it was amazing to think that Benny had met all of these people on Christmas… what a coincidence!

Anyways, the happy days filled with Mark, Roger, Collins, April, and Maureen came to a close all to soon and Benny was forced to focus in sharply on one particular Christmas Eve party. Himself and his friends had snuck into an elite Christmas party and were promptly planning on crashing it.

"Do you have the Stoli punch?" Roger hissed to Collins who laughed merrily and patted the inside of his coat.

"When do I never have the Stoli punch?" he whispered back and all four men cracked up considerably. Benny watched as the still alive April yanked Roger over towards the dancing people and he laughed as the two of them struggled to keep the dancing appropriate. He could sense the spirit April tearing up a little so he instantly focused in on what his other self and Collins were up to. It appeared that Maureen and Mark had also gone to… mingle.

"Ready Benny?" the memory Collins chuckled and Benny watched as his memory nodded to Collins. Collins then nodded as he discreetly unscrewed the lid to the Stoli and poured generous amounts of it into the punch and even in the wine.

"They are going to be so buzzed… the little stuck up wealthy folk," the younger Benny cackled under his breath to Collins.

It was then that something strange came across the memory Benny's face. It was close to a look of awe but Collins was able to later describe it as "twitterpated" **(A/N: I think that's how you spell it…)**

The beautiful Allison Grey, daughter to the infamous landlord Mr. Grey, had just stalked over to get some of the punch. She smiled radiantly at the two men and reached for the ladle to the now spiked party punch. Without thinking Benny reached out and grabbed her wrist lightly.

"May I have this dance?" he said once the young woman and gave him a startled and slightly fearful look. Allison nodded in relief and Collins instead watched in horror as one of his best friends went off to dance with one of the wealthiest dames in all of East Side New York.

April finally broke the silence and the memory with a few transition words.

"And that was the beginning of the end of your friendship with Mark, Roger, and Collins," the red-head said sadly. "I won't make you relive all the countless fights between you and the boys over Allison." Benny breathed a sigh of relief because he was already feeling the guilt stinging his heart over that. "But I will make you relive this," April said harshly and the party faded away to a grungy hallway. Benny recognized it as Mimi Marquez's old apartment. And he brought a hand to his eyes in shame and regret.

"Please…" Benny pleaded. But the memory commenced with or without the shamed man's permission.

……………………………

Benny watched as his memory self went into one of the apartment doors, a bottle of champagne in one hand and a set of keys in the other.

"Mimi," he called from the hallway as a way of warning the Latina inside that he had arrived. Then he skillfully placed a small key into the doorknob and turned it quickly. Before quite going in though the memory Benny stopped to stare at the key.

It was the key that his wife had always questioned him about. And it was the only lie that he had ever told his poor, dear wife Allison. The real Benny could remember the lie perfectly in his mind and involuntarily heard his own words repeating inside his head.

_It's just a key that was to my mother's old treasure box. Just a little box that held important things for her. When she passed I found it amongst her belongings and held onto the key so that no one would ever be able to go through her private things. _

This had been quite the lie. His mother certainly was never one for keeping little boxes with locks that held her special longings. In fact, she had never been a hiding kind of woman and instead had shown and told of all special events, belongings, and memories of any kind.

But Allison didn't know that and Benny hadn't been planning on her finding out that the key was actually a key to an apartment. A young too-attractive for her own good Latina dancer's apartment if you wanted to get into the specifics of it. Benny couldn't even remember why he cheated on Allison. Maybe it was because it was her that had drove him away from his friends. Perhaps it was because Benny felt sick with guilt whenever he obediently followed Mr. Grey's orders. Though it was probably was because he felt like pinning his secret pleasure of success onto an innocent bystander.

"Are you gonna come in Benny or are you going to stand there like an idiot?" a young female voice called out from somewhere in the apartment. This familiar voice brought both the memory Benny and the older Benny out of their thoughts and both stepped into the apartment. April slid in after Benny and stood next to him as the memory began to unfold.

"I'm so happy you got out of work to be with me on Christmas," the young woman, Mimi, giggled happily. Benny smiled and pulled the nineteen year-old into his arms.

"Why _wouldn't _I want to be with the only woman in my life on Christmas?" he asked and kissed her lightly. The real Benny remained emotionless. Mimi giggled again at this and then rushed off into her dirty little kitchen to the oven that had just gone off.

"I got a new apartment," she called from over by the smoking stove. Benny laughed lightly and leaned against the decked out table.

"Where?" he asked happily.

"Over by Avenue B… it's kind of like a loft space," she chirped. Benny watched as his younger counterpart squirmed a little and tried to respond as casually as he could.

"Oh, that's great Mimi," he finally replied. Soon he felt instant relief as the subject was changed to the slightly burnt frozen pizza that Mimi had pulled out of the oven.

"Sorry I couldn't afford anything nicer for Christmas but…" Mimi was cut off by a frantic kiss from Benny. She was more than happy to quickly place the now forgotten charred pizza on the table and play along.

It wasn't long before there came a knock from the door. And without thinking the real Benny watched in shame as his counterpart thoughtlessly broke the kiss and answered the door.

"Allison!" he cried in surprise. Mimi walked over quickly to see who was at the door that had frightened Benny so greatly.

"Who is it Benny?" she asked and came over to poke her head around his broad shoulders. Instantly her jaw fell as she saw the other woman holding out a wedding band towards Benny and eyes filled with tears.

"I found this in the bathroom," she said simply. There was a moment of silence before anyone finally said something.

"You're married?" Mimi shouted angrily and rounded on Benny. Allison's eyebrows shot up as she turned her hurt gaze towards the younger woman.

"You didn't know?" she snapped and jabbed an index finger at the Latina. Mimi flung her hands up in a gesture to ward Allison's anger off.

"He told me he was single and just got out of a bad breakup," Mimi insisted before Benny interjected.

"Allison she doesn't mean anything… it's not what it seems to be," Benny hastily said and grabbed Allison's shoulder forcefully.

"What?" Mimi cried as the full gravity of everything sunk in. "So I'm just a whore now, is that it? That's all I ever was?" Benny put his other hand on Mimi's shoulder hastily and seemed to be thinking up a response.

"Well Mimi… look at where you're working." Mimi pulled away with a look of horror on her face.

"Get the hell away from me," Mimi demanded and shoved her former lover out the door angrily. Sobbing could then be heard through the thin door. Allison stared stonily at her husband and held the wedding band out again.

"Now you see what you did Benny? You broke the poor little girl's heart and you broke mine." Benny fidgeted and opened his mouth to apologize.

"Allison I'm sorry…" he whispered. Allison cocked an eyebrow and surveyed the man before her. It was then that the real Benny and April came from the apartment to survey the rest of the scene and leaving the hysterical Mimi.

"I think you shouldn't come home tonight," was all that Allison said after wiping a few stray tears from her face.

The real Benny began to cry as the memory Allison walked away with her shoulders hunched and shaking from tears.

"Oh Allison…" he moaned and barely noticed as April led him away and into his own bedroom. "Allison," he cried again and buried his head into his arms and wept more. April's spirit watched sadly before turning to the window again.

"You will be visited by two more ghosts Benjamin," she said over the sobs and was gone.

The clock on the wall struck one but Benny didn't even notice.

**A/N: Well that's it! If you were wondering, I chose April as the ghost of Christmas past because she was a part of Benny's past. Really weird chapter, I know. Please let me know if I should keep going or not. :D **


	4. The Ghost of Christmas Present

**A/N: Well, the alerts aren't working but I thought I would post another chapter anyway to at least _try _and catch up. I admit I'm still a little embarrassed that this story is lasting into the New Year (so sorry about that) but I really want to keep going with the story anyways. Anyway, after that long yarn about my writing schedule failing miserably let's get onto the story. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own RENT or a Christmas Carol. **

When Benny finally lifted his tired and worn face from the silken pillows he finally noticed that he was back home. He quickly examined his hands carefully and bounced up and down on his springy mattress. Yup, he now knew without a doubt that he was back in his own home once more. He laughed giddily and fell back against the pillows happily.

"Just a crazy dream! I was never even gone at all!" Benny shouted ecstatically and continued to laugh in his high spirits. Suddenly there came a loud _CLANG _from downstairs and Benny's previous good mood instantly vanished into suspicion and fear.

Moving as quietly as he could, Benny crept down the stairs with a coat hanger in hand, ready to tackle anything that could be making such commotion. He could hear faint muttering coming from the doorway.

"Oh goodness… girl you gotta work on your dramatic entrances," the voice from downstairs scolded laughingly. Benny's eyes blinked several times in shock. From what he just heard, Benjamin Coffin III was being robbed by a 'flygirl'.

"Benny sweetie!" the voice called from the lower level and instantly Benny recognized the voice. His breath caught in his throat and quickly Benny pinched himself on the arm very hard as though hoping that this was just a dream too. "Well come on honey, I don't have all day!" the feminine voice demanded. Benny took a deep breath and flew the rest of the way down the stairs.

"Angel!" he cried out in horror and he could already feel himself getting faint. He was at such a loss for words that all the widely acclaimed Benjamin Coffin III could just stand there dumbly and stare in shock.

"Benny!" the ghost Angel squealed and instantly threw her arms around the dumbfounded man. It was then that Benny noticed that she was wearing her infamous female Santa suit and had a crown of what appeared to be leaves and twigs on her head. "You don't know how great it is to finally get to see someone from my previous life!" Angel also said hurriedly between breaths. "Oh, why do you have a coat hanger dear?" she asked more seriously and cocked an eyebrow in suspicion. Benny hurriedly dropped the large brass coat hanger and finally found his words again.

"What are you doing here?" he managed to croak out. If he was surprised to see April he was definitely surprised to see Angel. Angel rolled her eyes and glared gently.

"I would think after meeting April earlier you would be used to this whole 'three ghosts' thing by now," Angel tutted disapprovingly.

"I thought it was a dream…" Benny explained, his senses slowly returning. Angel laughed and shrugged merrily.

"It could still be a dream mister," Angel said mysteriously. "Or it could be real. Whatever makes you feel better." Benny stared at her uncomfortably and finally changed the subject.

"So let me guess… you're the Ghost of Christmas Present?" Benny asked with a smirk. "I _did _pay attention in my literature classes you know." Angel nodded, her black bob swaying with her head movements.

"You bet," Angel replied easily. Then she frowned as if just remembering something terrible that happened in the past.

"_Maybe she's remembering when her cat 'fell'," _Benny thought to himself crazily and had to stifle laughter.

"You've been a real bastard to your friends Benny," Angel reprimanded sternly. Benny held his hands up in a defensive gesture as though to ward off the impeding lecture that Angel was about to give him.

"I got the same speech from April, so spare me," Benny said quickly. Angel sniffed in a disapproving way but carried on without the speech anyway.

"Well, let's get going Benjamin Coffin III. No day but today and I only have an hour to work with you so let's get cracking!" Angel insisted and in a split second the scene changed to the rapidly approaching morning. Christmas Day, a time for cheer and good will towards all. Benny scowled ever so lightly but followed the skirt clad Angel without complaint.

"Where are we going Angel?" Benny asked after several minutes of silent traveling between the two. Angel looked back briefly and smiled encouragingly.

"Come on, not much farther. We're going to peek in on Allison." Benny inwardly winced at the thought of it but continued on anyway. Finally the pair reached a small coffee shop that Benny recognized as Allison's favorite beverage spot. Angel motioned for Benny to come to the window next to her and then took his hand gently. Without warning Angel dragged both of them into the shop, causing Benny to shake considerably in surprise and fear. Angel quickly moved over to perch by the windowsill next to Allison's seat while Benny was content to sit back quietly and watch from a distance.

"So how are you girls doing?" Allison asked conversationally while sipping a hot coffee. One of the other women looked at her friend in concern and changed the subject.

"Muffy dearest," the woman said kindly but firmly. "Please don't do that to us. You have begged for us to meet you at this coffee house every Christmas for nearly five years now and you have never given an explanation." The blonde woman next to the dark haired one nodded sadly.

"Allison, what's the matter?" the blonde asked simply. Allison sighed and took another long sip from her coffee. Then she proceeded to fiddle with a napkin for another minute or two before finally looking up at the two friends across from her.

"I'm sorry… it's just I can't stand being home on Christmas," she explained softly. Benny cocked his head to one side and leaned in closer curiously. Angel remained expressionless on her perch and waited for the scene to unfold.

"Why? You have a husband at home that you love and…" the blonde questioned seriously and in concern. Allison waved that away and quickly began again.

"I just can't stand to be alone with Benny on Christmas! Don't you see?" Allison cried, a little too loudly for some customers sent some cranky glances her way. "He hates Christmas… we don't even have a tree or a special meal or presents! He just sits there on his chair, not saying a word and waits until noon for when he is due back to work," she snapped venomously. "The first few years I thought maybe he was just exhausted or we were bad off financially and couldn't afford things like that this year but…" finally Allison drew silent as though to think her words over carefully. "And sometimes I think I hate him."

Benny drew back in shock at the confession that has just spilled past his beloved wife's lips and stared at her for a while.

"Allison…" he said softly before Angel took his hand again.

"Come on Benny, we've still got a lot to see," Angel said softly and Benny followed her quietly. His wife's words still rang out in his head and he was so distracted that Benny didn't even notice that Angel began to quicken her pace.

"Oh don't worry sweetie, I'm sure you can make things right with Allison," she chirped while weaving in and out of the merry folks. "Look, even the bums are jolly!" Angel pointed out and motioned towards an alleyway. Benny peered in and saw that one of them had managed to get a hold of some kind of wrapped alcoholic drink and were merrily passing it around.

"We wish you a merry Christmas…" the men were all singing drunkenly and one particularly jolly soul spilled a little alcohol into the fire they had started in the trashcan. The flames sparked up enormously for a few seconds before dying back down again. Benny allowed himself to smile as the bums cheered and passed the bottle around again.

"And look at the children!" Angel said quickly and stopped before two children playing in the snow on the street. The parents of the kids watched from a distance and smiled at each other lovingly. Benny watched the parents and saw the love that they had for each other, despite their torn clothes and shoes with the holes in them. The children quickly balled up some snow and threw them at one another, laughing gaily all the while.

In fact, Benny became so caught up in the world around them that he didn't notice that Angel had stopped in front of a certain apartment building. The apartment building that just so happened to have a certain loft space that was filled with old friends and acquaintances. Nevertheless, Benny still followed Angel up the stairway and over to the 'living room' of the Loft.

"Gather around good people," Mark said mockingly and ushered the bohemians to their seats. Mimi and Roger sat next to each other and were across from Maureen and Joanne. Collins sat alone at the end of the small table and Mark took the other end seat. "I believe that our lovely meal has just finished cooking." Everyone laughed at this as Mark pranced over to the kitchen.

"Yeah, and what delicacy did you make us this time Mark? Deep fried, Captain Crunch casserole?" Collins asked jokingly. This caused Maureen to giggle insanely and Roger to crack a smile at the memory from so long ago. Benny himself even snorted from where he was next to Angel. Mimi and Joanne just smiled nervously to go along with the inside joke.

"No!" Mark cried back indignantly from the kitchen. "Though if you all are soo skeptical maybe I should just throw away this wonderful feast." Roger quickly gave a muffled cry.

"We went through way too much trouble to get that Mark," Roger said firmly though his eyes laughed. Mark chuckled and strode out of the kitchen.

"Well," Mark said dramatically and pulled whatever it was from behind his back. "I managed to get us an extra small chicken dinner." Everyone at the table, besides Roger, gasped in surprise and joy.

"How did you afford it?" Mimi asked incredulously as she followed the roasted chicken with her eyes until it landed in the center of the table.

"I think Mark had to kill someone to get the money," Collins joked as he too stared at the chicken in wonder.

"Actually, Roger did," Mark replied nonchalantly. There was a moment of awkward silence until Mark finally looked up during his slicing of the chicken. "Oh, sorry, I was kidding," Mark said with a grin. Maureen chucked a plastic fork at the filmmaker and started laughing.

"You bastard," she shrieked while Joanne nudged her girlfriend firmly. Maureen shot her girlfriend a look but remained otherwise silent.

"Hurry up Mark and cut the goddamn chicken," Roger shouted hoarsely. "I've been dying for some since we bought it this morning." Benny smiled in amusement as his old friends continued to banter and eventually eat the roasted chicken.

"Did you bring me here to make me realize the true meaning of Christmas or something corny like that?" Benny sneered and turned to look at Angel. Angel sighed sadly and nodded.

"That was half of it… though unfortunately the last half isn't quite as merry." Benny frowned at this but didn't interrupt. "Do you notice how Mimi constantly is looking at Roger, as though to see if he is alright? Did you notice that Roger's smile seems a little too wide?" Benny leaned forward and suddenly he saw these things. Mimi was always leaning towards Roger and touching his arm sadly, but lovingly and Benny even noticed her slip a little more food on his plate when he wasn't looking.. And Roger seemed uncomfortable but willing to truck through the rest of the night without incident for his friend's sakes.

"And Mark looks like he's just trying to hold everything together," Benny said sadly. "But what could it possibly mean Angel?" Benny asked, although the dreaded reply was already in his heart.

"Roger went to the clinic this morning before he and Mark went chicken hunting," Angel replied and watched her friends interact sadly. "He told the results to Mark but he hasn't told them to Mimi yet, but she senses that something is wrong."

Benny watched as Roger suddenly encountered a coughing fit so loud that everyone fell silent to watch worriedly. When the racking heaves finally ended Roger took a sip of water and pulled his coat around him tighter.

"Are you okay Rog?" Mark asked in concern. The rocker nodded and smiled at his friends widely after swallowing some more water.

"It's that damn chicken Mark. I haven't tasted anything so good in so long that I swallowed too much at once," Roger explained with a smile, waving everyone's concerns away. The bohemians didn't seem to quite believe him but the went back to chattering animatedly anyway.

Suddenly, Angel grabbed Benny's hand again and the images in the Loft blurred and faded until a new scene was created. Mimi was confronting Roger after everyone had left to spend the remainder of Christmas in their respective homes.

"Hey baby," the Latina said sweetly. Roger smiled at her in greeting and moved over on the couch so that she had room to sit next to him.

"How are you Mimi?" he asked and pulled her a little closer to him. Mimi smiled and shrugged a little against his shoulder and looked up at him.

"Dinner was great. I had a lot of fun," she said softly. Roger grinned in return and the two were silent. Mimi bit her lip nervously and fidgeted slightly in her seat. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Mimi asked quietly. Roger jumped a little at that and looked down at his girlfriend.

"What do you mean?" he asked anxiously, suddenly looking anywhere but those deep brown eyes that he loved. Mimi straightened up and turned him to face her.

"I mean what is wrong, Roger? Mark knows but I don't." Roger sighed deeply and looked down at Mimi's foot distractedly. When he looked back up Mimi could just barely see the beginnings of tears forming in his eyes.

"I went to the doctor today for my appointment," Roger began gently, voice wavering. Mimi's breath caught in her throat as she stared wide-eyed at the man who she had so strongly believed was invincible. "And my T-cells are low." There was a second of horrified silence until Mimi let out a strangled cry.

"Roger!" she cried and pulled the rocker by his broad shoulders towards her. Roger returned her hug fiercely and tried his best to hold back the forceful coughs that were trying to break through his chest. "No… no this can't happen to us," Mimi hissed tearfully and Roger nodded in agreement.

In his heart Benny also felt overwhelming despair strike him and he fell to his knees. For a moment his head felt heavy and thick so that he couldn't even feel Angel desperately shaking his shoulder.

"Why Roger? They always manage to get food, heat…" Benny shouted angrily through a heavy tongue. Angel knelt down next to the man who was in denial.

"Benny… he and Mark sometimes go weeks without eating anything because they don't have the money. Roger sometimes has to even skip doses of his AZT to make them last until one of them can get money for more. And sweetie…" Angel took a breath dramatically and laid a hand on Benny's shoulder. "Half the time they don't have any heat in the winter. It's practically a death trap for a person with AIDS." Benny absorbed this quietly for a minute and the horrible truth hit him. "He has a month… maybe two to live." There was a moment of reflective silence between the pair.

"It's my fault…" Benny said hoarsely. Angel shook her head next to him and watched as the two lovers continued to cling to each other while the roommate watched with tears slipping from the rims of his glasses.

"It's not all your fault honey," she said soothingly and took his hand again. Benny looked up at her fearfully when he felt this contact.

"Now what? What torture will you put me through now?" Benny demanded cruelly through his pain. Angel smiled at him sweetly and then Benny noticed that they were outside a graveyard.

"None. My time with you is almost over," Angel answered and took a seat on the bench wearily. Benny sat next to her and looked at the angel next to him. There were several minutes of silence in which Benny composed himself, so as not to shout anymore at the spirit next to him.

"I know why you are Christmas Present," he said conversationally while they waited. Angel looked at him and cocked an eyebrow as if to say 'oh?'. "You were always living life." Benny said simply and turned to look at the snow covering the ground. Angel patted Benny's shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"Would you do me a favor sweetheart?" Angel asked suddenly. Benny looked at her for a moment before nodding.

"Anything."

"Would you tell Collins… how much I miss him and love him?" Angel said. Benny imagined that he heard her confident voice waver for a moment in emotion. It was Benny's turn to touch Angel's shoulder comfortingly now. "And tell Mimi that she's still my chica. And tell Roger that everything will be okay somehow. Tell Mark to put the camera down every now and then for goodness sake!" Benny had to chuckle at this. "And tell Maureen and Joanne they are the best example of opposites attract that I have ever seen." Benny smiled widely and nodded again.

"I most certainly will Angel," he promised. Angel beamed at him and suddenly Benny noticed that she was beginning to fade. "Wait!" he cried suddenly but her image continued to fade. "I've learned so much from you today, even though it hurt more than anything in the world. Please don't leave," Benny pleaded in despair. Angel just smiled wider and waved to Benny.

"Goodbye! I always knew you were a real sweetie underneath that cynical and cranky exterior of yours." Benny smiled weakly as she finally disappeared for good. With her gone the atmosphere seemed to instantly take on a dark feeling though instantly and he shivered in fear.

"Here comes Mr. Gloom and Doom…" Benny muttered to himself darkly and waited for the next and final ghost to appear.

**A/N: I really liked writing this chapter… although I don't think it's my best one. Though I will say it killed me to make Roger the one that was dying. I love Roger… (sniff sniff) Okay, anyway I hope you all liked that chapter and I promise I'll try and finish up as fast as I can. Thanks for the cooperation. **


	5. The Ghost of Christmas Future

**A/N: Hiyah… so, I wrote this last year but finally gave up on it because it was pushing March and I still hadn't finished it. Since the Holiday Seasons are back I thought maybe this would be a good time to try and revive this one. So, bear with me and hopefully people still like this. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own RENT. **

Benny sat alone where Angel had left him, shivering against the early-morning chill. He glanced up at a clock and nearly jumped out of his skin when it rang two o-clock in the morning.

"_Where did that clock come from anyway?"_ Benny pondered while waiting and then decided to shrug it off. _"And why is it only April could fly? Was she just being a show off?"_ These questions, and many more, plagued Benny's mind until he noticed a shadowy figure coming towards him. The moment it entered his frame of vision Benny's skin prickled and bumped up like gooseflesh. It was time.

"Are you the Ghost of Christmas Future?" Benny called nervously and he saw the figure nod in reply in the darkness. "And who exactly are you?" Benny wondered who else he knew that had died but was coming up with a horrible blank. The figure seemed to hesitate before walking closer to him and stepping into a ray of moonlight. Benny gasped quietly.

Roger stood before him, but it wasn't the Roger he knew. This Roger was thin as a rail and paler than any ghost Benny had seen that night. His eyes were hollowed in and his once proud head of hair was nearly gone. The corpse smiled at Benny through thin lips and caused his loose skin to fold all across his face. Usually, a rare smile like this from Roger would have caused his green eyes to light up with unusual happiness but these eyes remained flat and dead.

"Benny," the ghost replied in a raspy voice. He extended a hand where the knuckles jutted uncomfortably and his fingers were long and bony. "Time to see your future." Benny stared down at the hand, trying to force down the horror that was creeping up from his stomach. He could feel any color draining from his face but he forced himself to look back at Roger's face. And then, tentatively, Benny took hold of Roger's hand.

"Where are we going?" he asked softly, disguising his fear poorly, and Roger just gave a wane smile.

"We're going into your future," was all he would say. Benny wondered how Roger was going to transport them there when all of a sudden he had a sensation that a bucket of cold water was dropped on him.

Something cold was spreading among his insides and squeezing them painfully, giving him an odd numb sensation. But it didn't stop there. The cold was painfully forcing itself to the rest of Benny's body, freezing everything in its path and making Benny's eyes water. The frigid cold crept up to Benny's chest, then reached his neck, but it wasn't until it reached Benny's head that the pain caused him to cry out. But the scream was only in Benny's imagination because he was too cold to even move or feel. All he could recognize was the blinding burst of pain that was like an icy cold needle stabbing into his mind.

Then all at once, the pain was gone, leaving Benny trembling and weak on the ground, tears running silently down his face.

"Sorry for the inconvenience," the ghost said coldly and cruelly before hoisting Benny back to his feet. Benny remembered being amazed at the iron grip that Roger had on him at that moment… he had looked so frail. "Come on," he said hoarsely and dragged Benny down the street. Benny complied as his wiped his face, still gasping and shaking from the experience. It would haunt him forever.

Finally, Roger stopped in front of Benny's house that was still as well kept and clean as ever before. Roger then lead him inside where hordes of people dressed in black were sweeping through the house with greedy eyes.

"Oh Alison dear, we were so sorry to hear the news," a blonde woman said sympathetically, and Benny remembered her to be one of the friends from the café. Allison smiled at the woman and murmured words of thanks quietly.

"He passed on just last night," she explained and Benny felt as if something had hit him with a truck. All thoughts of the cold were gone and all he could do was replay Alison's callous words in his head. She had sounded so… uncaring.

"Alison looks so young!" Benny finally protested and turned to Roger. "How far into the future is thi?" Roger just smiled cruelly and eventually answered his questions.

"Yes, you do die on Christmas Eve." Benny's face fell slightly. "As for how far into the future this is… well suffice it to say that it's not very long. I only just died two days ago after a year of struggling with a dreadful disease." Benny's heart stopped. Only a year had passed… it was too much for him to comprehend.

"Alison dear," a bossy looking older woman cried, cutting into Allison's previous conversation. "Do you really need this vase?" she asked and held up one of Benny's prized possessions, a two hundred dollar vase that was made in one of the greatest potteries in Italy.

"Yes, please take it," Allison said with a determined look on her face. She then raised her voice up louder so that all the guests could hear. "You may help yourselves to anything of my late husband's. You may search in his room, the living room, and the left hand cabinet underneath the bathroom sink. Take whatever you desire." The guests all exchanged looks at this statement and then began to enthusiastically search the entire house.

Benny's breath caught in his throat when he heard his beloved wife say these things. Did she really hate him that much? Roger watched somberly at Benny's reactions as item after item was carted away. His wool blankets and finest sheets were carried off in the arms of an elderly man, his fine razors and expensive paintings was lifted by a young woman in a business suit, and half his library was wheeled out by a middle-aged couple he didn't even recognize.

One by one the guests left with more Benny's possessions and each familiar face that left with their heavy loads struck Benny's heart. There was Mrs. Shepherd who had taken several of Benny's classic records and the Stone family who had taken nearly all of his pottery. They had always been so friendly. Now Benny knew it was false friendship.

One by one… everything was gone.

"Are you ready?" Roger finally asked but Benny shook his head fiercely. He was rooted to the spot and unable to move or think or hardly breathe. It was all coming at him so fast…

Roger had no patience for this however and he snatched Benny's hand in his own withered one and Benny could feel _it_ spreading again.

"No!" he shouted, struggling to be away from Roger and the cold pain he brought but was unable to escape the tight grip. The painful cold bubbled up in his stomach and once more raced to Benny's head, making him fall limp and nearly drop to his knees.

Then, all at once it was over and Benny opened his eyes slowly and painfully. His legs trembled and barely supported the weight of his body but Benny noticed that his hand was no longer being held by Roger's corpse. He also noticed that the flesh on his hand was bruised from the force of which Roger had held onto him and Benny held it tenderly in his other hand.

"Now what?" Benny croaked, glaring over at the expressionless face of Roger. Roger raised his eyebrows coolly and jerked his head in a direction.

"Why don't you head on over there?" he asked softly, his voice weak and tired. Benny's eyes followed Roger's direction and all at once realized he was in a cemetery. He knew what he would see. Benny knew that he would be forced to stare at his own grave that would be ill kept and lonely. He knew that his heart could not handle the sight and yet Benny walked towards the inevitable presence of the tombstone, unable to stop himself.

He stopped at the correct grave and stared down at it sadly. "Benjamin Coffin III. A business man until the end." Benny stared at it, feeling the horror creep into his heart, giving his lungs a new sort of energy. "That's all it says! That's all it says, Roger!" he nearly screamed, dropping to his knees and covering his face in his hands. "That's all it says!"

Roger was suddenly at Benny's side, staring down at him through unamused and unsympathetic eyes. "Yes, I'm sure Alison put a lot of thought into that in the thirty seconds it took her to write it," he sneered. "Maybe if she had loved you she would have added that you were a wonderful husband. Maybe if you had friends there would be something from them on there too. But you were a lonely man Benny. You chose this path."

"No!" Benny argued, looking up at Roger for the first time. "No I didn't!" Roger smiled mockingly.

"Yes. Yes you did." Benny could feel himself becoming hysterical and he shook his head, denying what was right in front of him. "And it's time, Benny, for you to take your spot in your grave," Roger hissed at him and suddenly gripped onto Benny's shoulders forcefully. "It's time to go where you truly belong!"

The solid piece of Earth suddenly gave way and revealed a gaping hole six feet in the ground. The expensive wooden coffin gleamed up at him and opened, revealing a plush interior that was waiting for a body to hold.

"No! Roger, please!" Benny begged, the sobs ripping from his chest. "Please don't put me there, Roger! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"It's too late for sorry," Roger snarled at him, a sudden life inhabiting his cold body. "It was too late when you stopped returning our calls, it was too late when you lied to us, and it was too late the second you walked out on the only friends you had in the world!" Benny felt the shame explode in his stomach but Roger was wrong. It wasn't too late.

"It's not too late!" Benny insisted. "Please, Roger!" But Roger's ears were done listening. All he could do was give Benny a might push, sending him flying into his own grave and giving a satisfied smirk.

Benny cried out but there was nothing to stop his fall. There was nothing for him to do but to drop into the endless pit, growing closer to the coffin that awaited him.

……………………………….

Benny's eyes snapped open and he let a strangled scream pass his lips, clutching onto something soft and blinding himself with a dazzling light.

He sat up straight in his own bed. The bed with the thick, warm blankets and the plush pillows. The adrenaline pumped through his blood still but it was wearing off with each moment as he realized that he was not in a grave at all.

Yet it wasn't until he heard the familiar footsteps of his wife that Benny finally accepted that he had been dreaming and that he was alive and well. Alison pushed open his door and stared at him in wide-eyed fear.

"What's the matter?" she demanded, looking wildly around the room. "Are you hurt?" Benny stared at her stupidly before coming up with a quick reply.

"No… no, I'm sorry. It was just a dream," Benny replied distantly, staring at her as if it was the first time. Alison took a deep breath and then let out a shaky laugh.

"You sounded like you were plunging to your death," she explained, smiling nervously. "I was just making you breakfast. You better hurry before it gets cold," Alison explained, heading quickly toward the door.

Benny looked down at his hand and noticed something odd. One of them was covered in dark bruises in the shape of bony fingers. It was as if a corpse had grabbed his hand and held on for dear life. Benny stared down at it and flexed his hand, nearly laughing when he felt the pain shoot through his fingers and up his wrist.

It was real.

"Alison!" he called, leaping up from his bed and rushing out of his door after her. He found her halfway down the stairs and looking up at him curiously.

"What's wrong-" she began to ask before she was taken by surprise when Benny nearly lunged at her. Imagine her shock when he gathered her up and planted a huge kiss on her lips, nearly knocking her down if it hadn't been for his strong hands supporting her back. When he finally pulled away she stared at him as if he were a stranger.

"I love you," Benny declared before she could ask, giving her another gentler kiss. Alison just stared at him in wonder.

"I haven't heard that in a while," she finally stammered, noticing when Benny flinched. "I guess I still love you too," Alison decided with a small smile. Benny smiled back and took her hand, leading her to the kitchen.

"Alison, would you mind if you helped me with something today?" Benny asked, looking at her questioningly. Alison considered before hesitantly answering.

"What were you thinking of?" Benny thought for a minute before smiling broadly at her.

"I wanted to introduce you to some friends," he admitted. Alison stopped in her tracks and gaped.

"You don't mean…" she whispered.

"I do mean," Benny answered with a nod of his head. She gaped at him some more and shrugged.

"When should I be ready?" she gasped, wondering why she agreed to this.

"I'll call you," he instructed and grabbed a bagel before heading back upstairs. "I have a few things to get first but then we can go." Alison stared after him as he sprinted up the steps, still too dazed to form a coherent thought.

"What's gotten into you?" she finally hollered at him. She was utterly surprised when he let out a laugh and came back down fully dressed and pulling on a coat.

"Just a few Christmas Spirits," he explained and gave her a peck on the cheek. "I'll call you," he reminded her and dashed out the door.

**A/N: So, probably only another chapter or so. Please review! **


End file.
